Most of those stranded are tourists and the number is expected to rise as flights at two other nearby airports – I Gusti Ngurah Rai in Bali and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara – have been cancelled due to volcanic ash from the eruption.

“Affected Malaysian citizens are advised to adhere to local authority instructions and monitor updates on airspace openings,” the embassy said in a statement.

Embassy officials are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with affected Malaysians to plan alternative routes.

For assistance, Malaysians can contact the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta at Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav.X/6, No. 1-3, Kuningan, South Jakarta 12950, via phone at +62 21 522 4947/+62 813 8081 3036, or by email at [email protected].

In a related update, 1,668 tourists have been evacuated from Labuan Bajo using 73 vessels between Saturday and Tuesday, according to Budi Rahardjo, the spokesman for Indonesia’s transport ministry.

“Five ports are being used as destinations, four of which are in West Nusa Tenggara – Sape, Labuhan Lombok, Lembar and Bima. Another port is located in Benoa, Bali,” he said in a statement.

He added that Komodo International Airport was closed again this morning, and four other airports in the region remain shut.

Several flights on routes from Jakarta to Bali, Jakarta to Lombok, and Bali to Australia have also been cancelled for safety reasons.

Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology, and geophysics agency reported that volcanic ash from Lewotobi’s eruption had spread as far as Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara.

“The volcanic ash is moving westward to the southwest,” said its West Nusa Tenggara’s head of data analysis, Bastian Andriano, as quoted by the Antara news agency.

The eruption of Mount Lewotobi on Nov 3 has claimed at least 10 lives, prompting authorities to raise the volcano activity alert to Level 4, its highest level.